While tutoring the little fox, Ji Xiang did not neglect his own cultivation.
He had already diluted the Valley God Pill powder from Emperor Jiajing with plain water and drunk it.
There was no strange taste, only the scent of Chinese herbal medicine.
It was the essence of pure nature. However, it was said that in the past, Emperor Jiajing's alchemy was quite unorthodox, as he would add the urine of young boys and the menstrual blood of women to the丹炉 (dan lu - alchemy furnace) to refine pills.
It seemed he had now returned to simplicity. How could such unorthodox ingredients refine good pills?
The strengthening of his physical body by the pill powder soon began.
Two powerful surges of fiery energy started circulating within his body!
Ji Xiang was surprised. Normal people only circulated one surge of fiery energy, but this Valley God Pill actually produced two, one yin and one yang, one rapid and one slow, one vast and one silent!
Ji Xiang's Inner Scenery Divine Tablet was even alarmed and provided a description:
[Samadhi True Fire (Power of the Valley God Pill): True fire has three kinds: the fire of the heart is divine fire, the fire of the kidneys is essence fire, and the fire of the sea of qi is the common fire.]
[When the fiery energy within the human body is cultivated to its peak, it transforms into Samadhi True Fire. This fire, once manifested, possesses the power to illuminate heaven and earth; Samadhi True Fire is related to life and is the martial fire of heaven.]
——
[Six Ding Divine Fire (Power of the Valley God Pill): In heaven, it is starlight; on earth, it is lamplight. Ding is born in You and extinguished in Yin.]
[The ultimate yin fire in Taoist legends, Ding fire is gentle and inwardly radiant, vigorous but not fierce, declining but not exhausted; Six Ding Divine Fire is related to essence and qi, and is the cultured fire of heaven.]
————
The Valley God Pill stored these two surges of fiery energy to propel the pill's efficacy. Even though Ji Xiang had shattered the pill into powder, these two surges of fire had already permeated every particle of the powder, becoming an integral part of the medicinal power.
The two divine fires, yin and yang working in harmony, caused Ji Xiang's physical body to shift between crimson and dark red, occasionally flashing white. The two surges of fire pushed the medicinal power to spread throughout his internal organs, limbs, and bones. Since Ji Xiang's body was filled with incense offerings rather than blood and essence, some of this incense was assimilated, burning with fierce brilliance.
Ji Xiang opened his mouth and actually spat out sparks of flame!
And a strange thing was happening!
Ji Xiang's cultivation realm did not improve; instead, his aura was gradually declining!
The halo of glory above his head had also disappeared!
"It's been consumed!"
Ji Xiang felt the glory vanish, re-disperse into essence and qi, and merge into his physical body. This was the power of the Valley God Pill: to compress all existing essence and glory, to compress all the essence within the human body to the extreme, thereby greatly strengthening the physical body!
"This is... my essence and primordial qi are both being compressed!"
Ji Xiang recalled that when the Inner Scenery Divine Tablet described the Valley God Pill, it mentioned that those with weak cultivation would undergo distorted changes and their bodies would become activated. This was likely the situation!
With insufficient cultivation, one could not control the speed at which the pill compressed the human body's essence. The body would then become a mass of twisted, powerful rotten flesh, with all internal organs, brain, bones, glory, and primordial qi compressed into one place!
At that point, the robustness of the physical body might make many demons who specialized in physical cultivation exclaim in admiration!
Therefore, the "Heart-Melting Transformation Technique" that Emperor Jiajing had left in the pill might have been his way of remotely assisting his "Dao Sons" in the refining and compression of the pills. With him, a peak Pure Yang expert, providing remote control, those he designated would not be compressed into rotten flesh by the Valley God Pill.
Ji Xiang circulated his Ascension Realm cultivation, controlling the changes in his body, and slowed down the compression speed.
The blank divine tablet began to absorb the primordial qi of heaven and earth!
It absorbed while compressing.
As the pill powder's efficacy took effect, the inherent characteristics of the Valley God Physique began to emerge. This physical body possessed the five elements, gradually giving rise to traces of the roots of heaven and earth!
The body resurrected by the "Script for Delivering People" actually had above-average immortal bones. After its resurrection, it had entered the ranks of the superior grade. However, at this moment, the roots of heaven and earth brought by the Valley God Pill could foster even stronger, more superior immortal bones!
This was, in fact, what those people in the inner mountains called "Leftover Heavenly Marrow"! However, after Emperor Jiajing seized the position of Taishang Laojun, the pills he refined were no longer considered Leftover Dao pills, but rather Heavenly Golden Pills!
Ji Xiang consumed all of Emperor Jiajing's pill powder, using the Samadhi and Six Ding fires to forge his entire body into a single piece, transforming it into a Vajra body!
"This is the root bone of heaven and earth! It's a level higher than many superior immortal bones!"
........
Ji Xiang spent two full days digesting the pill within his body. During this time, he used his cultivation to control the pill's efficacy, and the blank divine tablet continuously absorbed primordial qi, making it seem as if Ji Xiang had not been in meditation for too long.
However, the little fox who had been with Ji Xiang clearly sensed that something was amiss.
Firstly, had their Ancestral Master's realm fallen?
The halo of white glory that was often visible on their Ancestral Master's body was gone.
The little fox looked bewildered and then glanced at the Golden Light Incantations she was copying, feeling a pang of guilt.
Had their Ancestral Master's realm fallen because of her anger?
But she hadn't done it on purpose. It was really difficult to learn, but she had tried her best!
The little fox thought that in the future, she could no longer be afraid of hardship or fatigue. She had to study hard, otherwise, if their Ancestral Master got angry again, his physical body might collapse.
Master Celestial Zhang had said that their Ancestral Master was merely a primordial spirit, and his form and spirit were not matched. Therefore, it was possible for their Ancestral Master to have his primordial spirit depart his body due to anger, ascend as a Yang God, and fly into the heavens in broad daylight...
The little fox scratched her face.
Secondly, their Ancestral Master's arms and fists had undergone visible and strange changes.
In the morning, the veins and blood vessels could still be seen on their Ancestral Master's fists. Now, they were no longer visible. When their Ancestral Master swung his fists, the fists seemed to emit a bronze-like luster, and when he tapped the table, it produced a sound like that of a bronze pillar.
Afterward, the little fox saw Ji Xiang walk into the courtyard of the Longde Hall and, with some curiosity, craned her neck to look.
Ji Xiang was currently drawing several Five Thunder Talismans and then activating them. Instantly, lightning flashed, and the first Five Thunder Talisman struck Ji Xiang himself!
"Oh my! Ancestral Master!"
The little fox couldn't help but tremble in fright, but Ji Xiang merely extended his hand, not using any cultivation, and endured the lightning with his physical body, crushing the lightning with his bare palm!
This was a fifth-level Five Thunder Talisman. Ji Xiang drew another lightning spell and repeated the same action!
Sixth level, seventh level, eighth level...!
It was only the eighth-level cultivation lightning spell that could cause slight damage to this physical body, leaving faint black marks on the surface. It was only a ninth-level cultivation lightning spell that could break through the defense!
This power was such that lightning could not harm it, fire could not burn it, and weapons would shatter upon contact. And this was just the beginning of its physical form!
Emperor Jiajing had said that after consuming this pill, the "physical body would gradually strengthen"! However, Ji Xiang had used his divine abilities to shatter the pill into powder, reducing its efficacy to only one-twentieth of its original power. This had caused him to lose the ability for subsequent enhancement, but it had laid a solid foundation, making a great contribution to the future strengthening of his physical body.
In the courtyard, heavenly lightning flashed, and talismans surrounded Ji Xiang, continuously striking with lightning.
The little fox watched in stunned silence!
Using lightning to simulate heavenly tribulations to temper the physical body, their Ancestral Master really knew how to play!